Creatively, few things are as exciting as the moment a new look or offering hits the shelf—especially when it was teased to industry eyes just weeks before. In the case of Firehook Crackers, the company just unveiled a vibrant new look across its national portfolio, one that attendees of Natural Products Expo West enjoyed a sneak peek at earlier this year.
“Expo West was a pivotal time for Firehook Crackers to get our new branding in front of our audience,” Ellen Howse, Chief Marketing Officer, recently shared with me. “We are the leading brand of premium crackers, but our brand awareness was low. This was a great opportunity to tie together our well-known and loved product with a new logo focused on really bringing the Firehook name to life.”
A fire hook was, in fact, an ancient tool used to take hot bread out of the oven, bakers being called “firehookers” interchangeably. With new signature heat-related colors as well as illustrations to bring ingredients to life, Ellen shares how this not only ties the company to the vocational history, but quality.
“We see it all come together, both in our ingredients but also in the work we’ve put toward showing how versatile the crackers are,” she continues, sharing how elevated partnerships and a particular sampling strategy don’t just intrigue consumers, but inspires them. “We have set the stage for our customers by being very conscious of what we call ‘curated bites’ with partners we view as category disruptors who match our passion.”
Curated bites, Ellen explains, are the extra step to elevate something without needing culinary training—be that the right seasoning or an ingredient twist that takes curiosity rather than skill.
“I am not a chef, but if you give me ingredients and instructions, I can make beautiful bites with these crackers, and so can consumers,” she points out. “We are the ultimate partner with perimeter brands with this in mind, and in doing so we drive a higher basket ring not just through our premium brand but these other products as well. We want to help shake things up by tapping into that passion in an accessible way.”
With a mindful approach open to bringing in partners, Ellen paints a picture of symbiotic connection at the top of the artisan mountain.
“I feel we have earned our place as the number one artisan cracker. It is our role to get people to think differently about crackers and to see them not as a player but as a leading star consumers can share with their guests and themselves. We are demonstrating how we can lead and disrupt this wonderful category,” she concludes.
Congratulations to the Firehook team on this next step in walking its disruptive walk!
